“You might think you’re going to pick a song that you want to sing, but it’s really about what do your people want to hear,” Tony Bacigalupo, the 2009 national title winner at a South by Southwest karaoke competition, tells the New York Daily News.

The time of night is also important in choosing your selection, Bacigalupo says.

“You don’t want to sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at 9 o’clock, when everyone’s sober,” he tells the Daily News. “You want to sing it at 1 a.m., when everyone’s drunk and ready to party.”

Of course, knowing your song will help you win over the audience. The more familiar you are with a tune, the more convincing you’ll appear during your time in the spotlight, according to Bacigalupo.

“You want to know this song pretty well,” he says. “If you’ve sung it in the shower, odds are you’ll be able to nail it in karaoke.”

For more advice and to see Bacigalupo in action, check out the video below: